Hmm...a nice place to raise a family
Since my last post, I haven't done much except sleep, eat, shower, and find out that I still can't start yet on my project. So, I don't have any great recent story to tell you about, so I'll just randomly muse on two thoughts: watching shows/events from other time zones and the family environment here.
Watching things happening elsewhere around the world is such a pain in Australia. The problem is not being able to watch them (I have my ways); instead, it is the ridiculous hours I would have been to awake to watch them. For example, the Confederations Cup - the big soccer tournament in South Africa where US finished second - started at 2am/4am over here. The final started at 4am and I was lucky that I was still jetlagged and managed to wake up at 5am to catch the second half of the final. I totally missed the Wimbledon Finals because the women's final started at 11pm and the men started at midnight. And the only reason I even thought about this topic is because the Michael Jackson Memorial is going to be beginning at 3am over here. I probably would not have watched the whole thing, but pieces of it at least. Oh well.
One observation I made during my first few days was that everyone seemed to be young and there were so many kids running around. Several days later, I still think that holds true. And after my conversation with the Italian grad student I'm supposed to work with, this place and Australia is a really nice to raise a family, live and work. Things are quiet and safe (especially for the dangerous animals in parts you shouldn't visit). There is work to be done. And the people are friendly. Hmm, I hope the Australia Tourism board runs across this, finds me a wife and pays me to live here.
